"Wow! That's a fascinating story," Shekhar Bajaj exclaimed when the villager, Manoj, completed narrating the incident. Shekhar got up and looked around the haveli that was now in shambles. Manoj looked uncomfortable as he stood, shifting his weight from one leg to the other.
"I think it will make for a wonderful movie," Shekhar muttered to himself.
Manoj felt the air changing. He looked around uneasily and said, "We should leave now. Nobody likes to come here... Not even the ghosts... I mean, the goats."
Shekhar laughed. "Whom should I approach if I need permission to shoot in this place?" A nebulous idea of making a movie based on the story surrounding the haveli was forming in his head. Manoj watched as a door swung slowly in the gentle breeze. He mopped the sweat pouring down his brow.
"Let me work on this..." Shekhar muttered after coaxing Manoj to share the details and left. He was like one possessed, running and rerunning the story Manoj had told him in his mind. Scenes flowed in a rush. Sometimes he kept a scene true to the tale as narrated by Manoj. Some places needed more drama, some poetic licence, some song sequences, and some romance. Between the daughter of the matriarch and Manoj? No, Manoj would be too young. Maybe Manoj's father. A servant who dared to fall in love with his mistress, his employer. But the family was against.
But how would Manoj know the full story? No, that love angle would not work. Manoj's father was also sworn to secrecy by the matriarch of the family. He dared to reveal it to his son, not thinking that sharing it with his son meant a breach.
And then he died. Because he should not have revealed it. Yes... The family had him killed... No one can reveal the family secret.
Shekhar leaned back wondering about the dark secret in the family. He needed a bold actor to do the role of the son. The mother - the matriarch... A face flashed in his mind, a determined face, with an expression that said, 'Don't mess with me.' A shiver ran down Shekhar's spine. He could only think of Durga Khote of yesteryears to don that role. Who could do it today... The quiet menace... Again the face. He felt butterflies in his stomach.
He forced his mind away from her to think about the daughter-in-law. A pair of stricken eyes, innocent and scared, flashed. He got up from his seat, looking over his shoulder as if he sensed some presence. The phone rang, startling him. A new number. He hesitated, a sinking feeling making him want to ignore it.
"Hello," he finally answered.
"Hello," a sweet voice made sweat break, as if the daughter-in-law were calling. "Is this Shekhar Bajaj?"
"Y-yes..."
"Sir, we met at the sets of 'Swag se Swagat'. My name is Ila..."
The relief Shekhar felt was palpable. The innocent eyes that he had imagined just now were hers. At the sets, he had walked into her without realising, startling her. The startled look was just the kind he imagined the daughter-in-law would have when she realised the truth about her husband. Her life stifled by the secret she could not share, she could not walk away from...
"Yes, tell me Ila... How can I help you?" he asked, putting on an air of inidifference. At the end of the predictable conversation where she requested an opportunity for acting, he asked her to come for audition a week later.
He called his scriptwriters and commissioned them to work on the dialogues. The idea was taking root in his mind. He was sure this was going to be a hit in the thriller genre. He sought out producers who backed such themes. "You are taking such a movie!?" one of the producers asked in surprise. "Moving away from romance!?"
"There is lot of scope for romance. That's why I am going to make this," Shekhar said with a smile. The moment he voiced that thought, he knew who the hero would be. He called up Shabir, the upcoming anti-hero who was willing to do any character role provided it was exciting.
"What, sir!" Shabir reacted in a disappointed tone. "How can you expect me to don this role? It will affect my prospects. I will be typecast," he demurred.
"It's a chance of a lifetime. I am sure Hardik will be happy to play the role," Shekhar reminded him.
"Ok," Shabir buckled after pretending to think about it.
Shabir came for the audition, a mere formality. Shekhar walked up to the gate with him after the audition, telling him the story. A call stopped Shekhar mid-stride, but Shabir stepped forward after the merest of pauses. The gate fell on him before anyone realised there was anything amiss.
Dead on Arrival, the hospital declared, due to broken skull caused by falling heavily on the floor.
Click here for Part II
"I think it will make for a wonderful movie," Shekhar muttered to himself.
Manoj felt the air changing. He looked around uneasily and said, "We should leave now. Nobody likes to come here... Not even the ghosts... I mean, the goats."
Shekhar laughed. "Whom should I approach if I need permission to shoot in this place?" A nebulous idea of making a movie based on the story surrounding the haveli was forming in his head. Manoj watched as a door swung slowly in the gentle breeze. He mopped the sweat pouring down his brow.
"Let me work on this..." Shekhar muttered after coaxing Manoj to share the details and left. He was like one possessed, running and rerunning the story Manoj had told him in his mind. Scenes flowed in a rush. Sometimes he kept a scene true to the tale as narrated by Manoj. Some places needed more drama, some poetic licence, some song sequences, and some romance. Between the daughter of the matriarch and Manoj? No, Manoj would be too young. Maybe Manoj's father. A servant who dared to fall in love with his mistress, his employer. But the family was against.
But how would Manoj know the full story? No, that love angle would not work. Manoj's father was also sworn to secrecy by the matriarch of the family. He dared to reveal it to his son, not thinking that sharing it with his son meant a breach.
And then he died. Because he should not have revealed it. Yes... The family had him killed... No one can reveal the family secret.
Shekhar leaned back wondering about the dark secret in the family. He needed a bold actor to do the role of the son. The mother - the matriarch... A face flashed in his mind, a determined face, with an expression that said, 'Don't mess with me.' A shiver ran down Shekhar's spine. He could only think of Durga Khote of yesteryears to don that role. Who could do it today... The quiet menace... Again the face. He felt butterflies in his stomach.
He forced his mind away from her to think about the daughter-in-law. A pair of stricken eyes, innocent and scared, flashed. He got up from his seat, looking over his shoulder as if he sensed some presence. The phone rang, startling him. A new number. He hesitated, a sinking feeling making him want to ignore it.
"Hello," he finally answered.
"Hello," a sweet voice made sweat break, as if the daughter-in-law were calling. "Is this Shekhar Bajaj?"
"Y-yes..."
"Sir, we met at the sets of 'Swag se Swagat'. My name is Ila..."
The relief Shekhar felt was palpable. The innocent eyes that he had imagined just now were hers. At the sets, he had walked into her without realising, startling her. The startled look was just the kind he imagined the daughter-in-law would have when she realised the truth about her husband. Her life stifled by the secret she could not share, she could not walk away from...
"Yes, tell me Ila... How can I help you?" he asked, putting on an air of inidifference. At the end of the predictable conversation where she requested an opportunity for acting, he asked her to come for audition a week later.
He called his scriptwriters and commissioned them to work on the dialogues. The idea was taking root in his mind. He was sure this was going to be a hit in the thriller genre. He sought out producers who backed such themes. "You are taking such a movie!?" one of the producers asked in surprise. "Moving away from romance!?"
"There is lot of scope for romance. That's why I am going to make this," Shekhar said with a smile. The moment he voiced that thought, he knew who the hero would be. He called up Shabir, the upcoming anti-hero who was willing to do any character role provided it was exciting.
"What, sir!" Shabir reacted in a disappointed tone. "How can you expect me to don this role? It will affect my prospects. I will be typecast," he demurred.
"It's a chance of a lifetime. I am sure Hardik will be happy to play the role," Shekhar reminded him.
"Ok," Shabir buckled after pretending to think about it.
Shabir came for the audition, a mere formality. Shekhar walked up to the gate with him after the audition, telling him the story. A call stopped Shekhar mid-stride, but Shabir stepped forward after the merest of pauses. The gate fell on him before anyone realised there was anything amiss.
Dead on Arrival, the hospital declared, due to broken skull caused by falling heavily on the floor.
Click here for Part II
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